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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — in control
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. press — a publisher
  17. charge — electricity
  18. present — there
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — a price
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com